THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR - Magic Touch - The Complete Mustang Singles Collection [USA rock and roll 1964-66] 2018 Now Sounds WCRNOW57

Magic Touch: The Complete Mustang Singles Collection is the first time all of the Bobby Fuller Four's mid-'60s Mustang singles have been released in their rare mono form. It also rounds up a session Bobby Fuller produced for fellow Mustang artist Jay Horton and three songs released by Randy Fuller after Bobby's untimely demise in 1966. It's a fine way to hear the progression of Fuller's sound from an oldies/surf act on early records like "Those Memories of You" and Thunder Reef" to something more fully realized. By the time Fuller and his band (and producer/label owner Bob Keane) hit on the perfect sound of "Let Her Dance," the combination of Fuller's crystal-clear vocals, his love of simple pop songs, the echoing production, and the energy of the musicians was unstoppable. The run of singles begun with "Let Her Dance," followed by "Never to Be Forgotten," the timeless "I Fought the Law," and the super-charged Buddy Holly cover "Love's Made a Fool of You" -- a feat rarely equaled by any artist of any time. The B-sides aren't that bad either, especially the brilliant "Another Sad and Lonely Night" and "Don't Ever Let Me Know," a thoughtful ballad that saw Fuller beginning to experiment a touch with the formula. Though Bobby hated his final single, 1966's "The Magic Touch"/"My True Love," because he didn't have full control over the sound, it's hard to agree with his displeasure. The little bit of Motown groove creeping into the mix gives the sound a nice boost and the songs are keepers. Overall, the mono mixes are crisp and powerful, and just different enough from the better-known stereo and album mixes to give collectors a reason to snap this set up pronto. The fun Jay Horton single is another selling point, so are the Randy Fuller tracks, especially "It's Love, Come What May," which is basically a Bobby Fuller Four track with Bobby's lead vocal doubled by Randy. Magic Touch may not be the ideal place for a Fuller neophyte to discover the magic of his sound and songs, but it's not bad by any stretch and, really, anything that helps keep the flame burning is a worthwhile endeavor.

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